Manga
This is how Akira Toriyama expanded the world of Sand Land almost 24 years after its creation
We had the chance to talk to Sand Land’s producer to find out how Akira Toriyama was involved in this expansion of his work.
The death of Akira Toriyama continues to touch the hearts of fans of his works. His sudden death left some projects unfinished, while others were able to be completed while he was still alive. One of those is ‘Sand Land’, one of the lesser known works by the author that has always lived in the shadow of ‘Dragon Ball’ and ‘Dr. Slump’, among others.
24 years after its publication, the mangaka worked hand in hand with the Bandai Namco and Shuehisha teams to expand the story in other formats. Forest Land, as the unpublished side of its story is called, debuts in both anime format (available on Disney+) and in the upcoming video game, which will debut on April 25 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Keishu Miname, producer of the game, cleared up a doubt for MeriStation: in what way was Toriyama involved in the expansion of his own work?
This is how Akira Toriyama worked on the expansion of Sand Land
“Toriyama-sensei verified this scenario from the beginning of the main story to the end of Forest Land as a supervisor. He also checked the gameplay. The context of Forest Land was planned by Toriyama-sensei and we have based it on his idea. We created this part under the supervision of Shueisha,” Miname begins. “Toriyama-sensei also asked us to create the story with Beelzebub and Rao’s journey in mind, since the manga does not include this part. We have developed the game based on this type of feedback.”
Miname explains that this side of the project began from the moment the game’s development began. Being a part that would also reach the anime, they have worked closely with Bandai Namco Filmworks to share the contexts and ideas of Forest Land in both products of different media. “The creativity behind Forest Land was built in cooperation with both production companies, with verification by Shueisha and sometimes by Toriyama”, he concludes. Ann’s presence is one of the additions to the plot. The expert engineer will play a key role in this extended part; her design is an original concept by Toriyama.
The anime is now available through Disney+, including the unpublished part that expands the story that Akira Toriyama outlined in the manga. However, experiencing it from the video game side will offer a deeper perspective of the story. Very soon the mystery will be cleared up.